FBINAA JANFEB MAG.2019

THE HISTORIAN'S SPOTLIGHT

Pat Davis

Bill Carbone

L et’s welcome our most recent National Executive Board mem- ber, Bill Carbone . Bill was elected to the Board and assumed his role as Section IV Representative at the recent National Training Conference in Quebec City. He is assuming the position previously held by Ken Truver, who was elevated to 3rd Vice President at the same Conference. Bill is the first NYPD member of the NA Board. Bill Carbone was born in 1960 in Queens New York; he was raised in Levittown, New York, approximately 20 miles east of Queens. Although probably not known by many, Levittown plays an important role in American History in “land planning” circles. In 1947, William Levitt of Levitt & Sons began building mass- produced affordable housing for veterans returning from World War II. Island Trees, or Levittown as it later became known, is widely recognized as the first modern American suburb. Levit-

While his Mom stayed home and raised Bill and his brothers, his Dad worked for thirty-three plus years in the NYPD. Upon his retirement from the Police Department, his Dad went to work for Major League Baseball in the Commissioner’s Office. After High School, Bill attended Long Island University, CW Post Campus, and holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice as well as a Masters Degree in Criminology. He also possesses a teaching cer- tificate from New York State. Bill started his career with the NYPD in January 1982 as part of the largest class in the history of the Department. Of that class of 3,650 rookies there are about twenty that are “still on the job.” He is proud to be part of the third generation in his family to work for the NYPD. Continuing the tradition, his son is a Detective in the NYPD’s Gang Division. Bill states that his family has a cumulative history of more than one hundred fifty years of service with the NYPD. Great Uncles, Uncles and cousins were all a part of the “fam- ily business.” Early in his career he had aspirations of earning a Detective Shield and often shared that dream with his Dad. His journey, dur- ing his thirty-six years with the NYPD, reflects his early aspirations. He has held various positions in various areas of the city. The list includes Police Officer in South Jamaica Queens, Detective in Nar- cotics and the 113th Precinct Detective Squad, both in the South Jamaica neighborhood of Queens. He was a Patrol Sergeant in the South Bronx, worked Manhattan North Narcotics and the Detec- tive Bureau. He was promoted to Sergeant, Supervisor of Detec- tives and then Lieutenant where he was reassigned to Jamaica as a Platoon Commander. He also worked in the Internal Affairs Bu- reau before being reassigned back to the Detective Bureau where he was promoted to Lieutenant Commander of Detectives, the rank he currently holds. Considering highlights on the job, he remarked about two unique occasions; the first was the opportunity to work a homi- cide with his dad in 1987, and the second was making a homicide apprehension with his son in 2014. Bill attended National Acad- emy Session 217 which ran April through June 2004. His favorite classes were Leadership and Statement Analysis, but states that he found a benefit in all of the classes he attended. It’s tough for

town is significant from a multitude of perspectives. In par- ticular it is an exam- ple of the mass as- sembly of homes. An argument can also be made that it is one of the best early examples of subur- ban planning. For example, in every section property was set aside for public schools. Available only to World War II veterans and their families, the first Levittown house cost $6,990 with nearly no money down. Levitt built

Bill Carbone

17,447 houses in a four year span. On average, Levitt's builders finished 12 houses per day, and because of this design and popu- larity the tract house was here to stay. Levittown, Pennsylvania was the second "Levittown" built by William Levitt. Levitt & Sons perfected a 26-step rationalized building method that was known as an assembly line type of home building which greatly sped up the building process. Bill grew up in what he refers to as “the original suburb” where, at the time, there were approximately 10,000 kids in Lev- ittown and the surrounding communities. There were five High Schools fed by eight Junior High Schools. Bill remembers that on weekend nights “there were kids everywhere” and since most were the children of Police Officers and Firemen they tended to generate a lot of work for the Nassau County Police.

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